The West Hartford Town Council held a brief public hearing on March 20, 2o25, and granted a request from Vessel Technologies for a continuance in order to address specific fire safety issues.

By Ronni Newton

In order to address numerous questions and concerns about health and safety raised by West Hartford town staff, a public hearing on an application by Vessel Technologies to construct a multifamily housing development at 29 Highland Street was continued again – this time at the request of the applicant – and the fourth installment of the hearing is now scheduled to take place at West Hartford Town Hall on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, beginning at 6 p.m., with a special Town Council meeting scheduled for 6:05 p.m. with the intent of voting on the proposed project.

“We have requested a continuance to address those very specific fire safety issues that we received very recently,” said attorney Robin Pearson of Alter, Pearson & Hope, who is representing Vessel Technologies, noting that some of the most recent and details questions were raised just the previous evening. “These are certainly issues of such weight that it’s important for us to have a comprehensive dialogue with staff and the fire department officials to have an opportunity to thoroughly respond to all of the comments that have been made,” Pearson said Thursday night.

The lengthy, nearly-six-week extension is intended to give Vessel ample opportunity to address a lengthy list of questions that town staff have raised following a thorough review of the submitted plans, many of those concerns related to fire safety issues. Mayor Shari Cantor moved to grant the request Thursday night for the continuance “for the limited purpose of considering responses from the applicant and planned modifications on the safety-related questions.”

Cantor asked that Vessel provide modified plans to the town by April 11, or as soon thereafter as practicable.

Nearly four hours of testimony was given when the public hearing on Vessel’s application first began on Feb. 25, including the developer’s presentation and public comment on the application by Vessel Technologies to rezone the 2.33-acre parcel at 29 Highland Street and create a Special Development District overlay to allow for the redevelopment of what was then a proposal for 112 units of multifamily housing. Vessel’s application indicates plans to replace the existing Hughes Health & Rehabilitation buildings on the site with multifamily housing been submitted under Connecticut General Statutes Section 8-30g, which requires that 30% of the units must be affordable – and at least 15% of those must be affordable for those with an income of 60% or less than the area median income (AMI).

The 8-30g statute has been in place for several decades, but has rarely been used in West Hartford, so prior to the start of the public hearing on Feb. 25, Deputy Corporation Counsel Gina Varano explained the statute, which allows developers to override local zoning ordinances if the municipality does not already have 10% of its housing qualified as affordable, and if the project provides the requisite mix of affordable units. According to Town Manager Rick Ledwith, West Hartford’s affordable housing percentage is roughly 8%.

A zoning authority, in this case the Town Council, can only deny an 8-30g application if it’s “necessary to protect public interest in health and safety,” Varano said on Feb. 25, and if those reasons clearly outweigh the need for affordable housing and the public interest cannot be protected without meaningful amendments.

The Feb. 25 hearing was paused and continued until 6:45 p.m. on March 11 “for the limited purpose of presenting an updated plan set to reflect reconfiguration of several units” – which included a reduction in the proposed number of units to 108 – after which the Council had intended to vote on the project.

At the March 11 hearing, the Council again moved to continue the discussion to March 20, with Cantor stating on March 11 that the reason for the continuance was because “this project presents a unique construction approach, something the Council has not seen before.” The units are modular and prefabricated, then assembled onsite, with metal staircases, hallways, and common areas that are partially open to the air and exposed to the elements.

“Given the distinct nature of the design, I believe it will be beneficial for our staff to have some additional time to thoroughly review and publicly comment on the project,” Cantor said on March 11. “This would also provide the applicant with the opportunity to address challenges and concerns related to this type of construction.”

Town staff has continued a careful analysis of the submitted plans over the past week, and questions raised by the town planner, fire chief, and other town officials address public health and safety issues related to the “modular, prefabricated construction methods” as well as the proposed “semi-open design” that utilizes metal screens, grates, and mesh for hallways, stairwells, and other common areas. “These elements raise questions about the safety of common areas that use these materials for covering, walls or floors, as well as the appropriate fire suppression and protection measures necessary to ensure public health and safety,” Corporation Counsel Dallas Dodge said in a March 15 letter to attorney Pearson.

Dodge referenced a letter from Town Planner Todd Dumais dated March 14 that requested specific information about claims that the building is “fireproof” and whether or not fire suppression systems will be available in common areas, and if they are, how those systems would be managed in cold temperatures since those common areas are “semi-open” and unheated. There are also outstanding questions regarding available areas of refuge for residents who may not be able to evacuate for reasons that include mobility, as well as questions about the design of windows and doors, and adequate clearance for stairwell egress.

“As a result, our building and fire officials have encountered challenges in conducting a preliminary review of the plans, with unresolved questions about how certain design elements align with fire safety and prevention codes,” Dodge said in his March 15 letter to Pearson. “Accordingly, we request information on any instances where the Office of the State Building Inspector, the Codes & Standards Committee, or other state building officials have interpreted or applied the state’s fire safety and prevention codes to similar design elements in other municipalities. In particular, please provide examples, if any, where state officials have disagreed with local building and fire officials’ interpretations,” Dodge wrote.

We-Ha.com has also requested comment from the state building inspector and fire marshal regarding Vessel’s unique design, and is awaiting response.

Information submitted by Vessel Technologies in response to West Hartford town staff questions about construction materials. Town of West Hartford website

At the opening of the March 20 hearing, Cantor said she was “inclined to support the continuance” and summarized the key safety concerns and said that in granting the request to continue, there is an expectation that Vessel will address all staff comments.

In a letter to Pearson on March 20, Dodge said the town would be willing to grant an extension of the public hearing in order to give Vessel “every opportunity to demonstrate that the proposed development is safe” and to give them a chance to modify the plans to address concerns.

“Specifically, if the public hearing were continued, we ask that the Applicant agree to present to the Town Council construction-level design plans, including detailed technical drawings and a full code compliance block, and sufficient time be provided for review and comment by the Town Planner, Chief Building Official, Fire Chief, and Fire Marshal,” Dodge said in his March 20 letter. The construction legal plans are being requested, he said, to address the issue of “smoke, gas, and heat ventilating through publicly accessible portions of the building” which is contemplated in Vessel’s design, as well as the feasibility of incorporating building-wide fire protection and suppression due to the modular design and semi-open public areas.

Members of the public attended the March 20 hearing, and six spoke to the Council. Bernie Pelletier praised the proposed project for being “innately affordable” as well as sustainable, but the five other speakers, who all live on Highland Street or Concord Street directly behind the proposed development raised concerns about traffic and parking.

Dr. Neil Stein, a pediatrician who lives in the neighborhood, seconded the concerns of other area resident but added that he was very happy that the fire department raised the issues “about safety and being able to evacuate people or help me know that it’s safe whether there’s an emergency or a fire emergency and whether people can safely exit the building.” Stein said he is very interested in hearing more about the conclusions made regarding the safety issues.

More information and history about the Vessel proposal can be found here.

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